Adam Scott sticking with the broomstick in Sydney

ADAM SCOTT has been experimenting with a new, shorter putter ahead of the 2012 Emirates Australian Open but isn’t likely to switch from his broomstick any time soon.

Scott told a media conference at The Lakes Golf Club on Wednesday that the putter he had been seen with was “just slightly longer than a short putter” but it was highly unlikely it would make it into his bag for the tournament.

The Australian golfer is obviously not impressed by the decision by golf’s governing bodies to ban “anchoring” putters to the body from 2016.

He said he was more likely to move the broomstick putter “a centimetre” or more away from his chest to comply with the new rules but was just experimenting with various options.

“I think I putt fine with any putter,” Scott said. “I have spent the last two years learning a skill with the broomstick putter and that is what I am going to use this week, most likely. Whatever way I putt in the future, if I just move the hand off my chest an inch or a centimetre or whatever it is, I’ll be making an honest stroke. It will look exactly the same.”

The current world no. 7 said he had been enjoying a couple of quiet weeks since his win at the Talisker Australian Master at Kingston Heath last month but hopefully hadn’t lost his winning touch.

His mind is still very much on the Majors and to getting back to being in a winning position – as he was with four holes to go at the British Open.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to that position as soon as possible, hopefully in April [at the US Masters],” Scott said.

Scott, who won this event in 2009, will tee off with in-form Englishman Justin Rose and China’s Wenchong Liang, at 7.10 am on Thursday.

Rose also fronted the media at the Lakes on Wednesday, saying he was “looking forward to ending the season on a high” and to playing with a good friend in Scott.

Justin Rose: “The best putt I ever missed!”

Rose reflected on his career and recent successes – spurred by the dramatic European Ryder Cup victory – and THAT putt that almost put him into a playoff with Rory McIlroy for the European Tour championship in Dubai a few weeks ago.

“The best putt I ever missed,” Rose quipped. “I did not get egg on my face with it. Obviously, it crawled over the ridge. It was one of the toughest putts I’d ever faced. I felt that if I made birdie, I’d probably win the tournament. If I don’t make birdie, there is a good chance Rory was going to make it. In my mind, I was thinking birdie one or two of the last five and probably force a play-off. The pressure was on. I could have putted into the water. If it went over that ridge with too much speed, it goes 10 feet past the pin and catches another slope and goes down into the stream. I had to putt it perfectly and it was pretty much inch for inch perfect. Half-way, it crawled over with about an inch to spare. It kept me guessing. It was an amazing putt. Going along with the Ryder Cup, I’ve had a lot of people comment on my putting of late.”

The Englishman said he had carried around a lot of “scar tissue” from setbacks earlier in his career.

“Only in the past two or three years do I think I have completely overcome it, truly believe in myself under pressure and believe I am one of the best players in the world,” he said.

His advice on getting “too wrapped up” in leaderboards and media and expectation was “just keep loving the game.”

“Everything about professional golf, to me, is designed to take you away from hitting golf shots freely. We get too wrapped up in leader boards and media and what people are saying and expecting of you that makes the task of hitting a golf shot so much harder. Keep it simple,” the world no.4 said.

Brian is an award winning golf writer and is the founder and editor of Australian Senior Golfer. He is a former Sydney journalist who had little interest in golf till he hit his first ball at the age of 49 (and a half). Since then golf has just about overtaken his life. Brian founded ASG in April 2008 and has since covered every Australian Open, Presidents Cups, World Cups and numerous other big men’s and women’s tournaments, spending days inside the ropes with the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Greg Norman, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Karrie Webb, and many others. He has also played in, and reported on, numerous amateur tournaments, particularly senior and veteran events, around the country. Brian is a member of the Australian Golf Media Association and won the award for Best News Report for 2016 - 2017